Mormon leader: religious freedom at risk

God Bless America.

The church has tax exempt status like most other churches...they should stay out of organized political activism....or else start paying taxes.

nothing but a cul, lds needs their tax exempt status yanked asap.

*that would be cult. have got to get these glasses replaced!

So, what next? Ban the Catholics, Jews and Protestants from residing in Utah?

Look out. It may happen.

Come on now wrote:

The church has tax exempt status like most other churches...they should stay out of organized political activism....or else start paying taxes.

hmmmm, sounds like you're wanting to curtail Freedom of Speech or to dictate what is said by ministers.

You may not like it, but the Bible is against the sin of homosexuality and that sin is still preached against in many churches, even non-LDS churches.
Of course Obama's supporters are trying to get such preaching against gays by declaring it as "hate speech", which is a limiting of the Freedom of Speech of Christians.

Of course Christians (of all denominations) are easy targets, unlike non-Christain faiths.

Stop the victim garbage! Christian churches have done plenty of victimizing and lds is not exempt. The bible has been used to justify the exclusion of blacks and women from full equality to supporting the holocaust. yank all church tax exemptions and keep your primitive belief system out of our government.

rita wrote:

Stop the victim garbage! Christian churches have done plenty of victimizing and lds is not exempt. The bible has been used to justify the exclusion of blacks and women from full equality to supporting the holocaust. yank all church tax exemptions and keep your primitive belief system out of our government.

Quit your west coast California whining and accept the fact if it weren't for Christians coming to America, seeking freedom of religion, freedom from taxation without representation, and setting up the American government, you wouldn't be here.

Ijop wrote:

So, what next? Ban the Catholics, Jews and Protestants from residing in Utah?

Like that's likely.

Some of the earliest non-LDS church buildings in Utah were built with Mormon help and on land the Mormons donated.

The first Catholic services in one Utah town were held in the local LDS tabernacle, and with the mass sung by the local LDS choir.

Ijop wrote:

Look out. It may happen.

Not if the Mormons have anything to say about it.

What's more likely is another Edmunds-Tucker type of act, in which all Mormons are disenfranchised.

Don't believe it? It happened. And the US Supreme Court declared that it was constitutional.

These facts may not be consistent with the "history" you've heard about; but they are true.

Regards,
Pahoran

Come on now wrote:

The church has tax exempt status like most other churches...they should stay out of organized political activism....or else start paying taxes.

Maybe you should bone-up on the tax emption laws. Tax exempt status does not take away a church's right to take a stand on social or even political issues. That's what a church does! They just can't endorse a particular candidate. Not an issue here. They doing what they should be doing. Whether you like it or not, they took a stand for what they believe is right. We need more churches and individuals to do the same and not just following the politically correct money trail.

I meant "tax exemption laws" above.

Steve wrote:

<quoted text>History doesn't square with your ignorance, bigotry, and prejudice.
The first women to vote in America were in the Utah Territory.
The anti-slavery movement was largely an Evangelical Christian endeaver. Since it appears you aren't a reader, try the film AMAZING GRACE and clear some of your ignorance.
Joseph Smith, the first President of the Mormon Church, ordained Negroes and placed them in positions of power over whites and ordained women (see his DOCUMENTORY HISTORY under April 1844.
A native German hero of the anti-Nazi movement was Helmut Huebner, a young Mormon in Hannover. Google his name and clear some more of your bigotry.

Actually you are the moron here. Helmut has no mention in German or history books. His name is brought up by those who have an interest in "expanding" Mormonism who are deemed "heros" for their own self-interests.

What actions did your "hero" partake in other than passing out leaflets in regards to Hitler that most Germans did not already know? Give it a rest. Helmut is no hero.

You want a hero? Try Schindler. How about Edleman? How about Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg? How about Hosenfeld. Much more likely a Hero(es) than your "Mormon Hero."

Tell me this wise guy. Where was the LDS church during the Shoah? How about Rwanada? Somalia? Darfur?

Dip wrote:

<quoted text>Actually you are the moron here. Helmut has no mention in German or history books. His name is brought up by those who have an interest in "expanding" Mormonism who are deemed "heros" for their own self-interests.
What actions did your "hero" partake in other than passing out leaflets in regards to Hitler that most Germans did not already know? Give it a rest. Helmut is no hero.
You want a hero? Try Schindler. How about Edleman? How about Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg? How about Hosenfeld. Much more likely a Hero(es) than your "Mormon Hero."

What exactly are you arguing? That since those guys were heroes, Huebener could not have been? Are you arguing that the only heroes are those who have movies made about them, or is it just that there can only be a certain number of heroes in the world?

What is your argument, exactly?

If a young man who opposed the Nazi regime at the risk -- and ultimately the cost -- of his life is not a hero, exactly what are your criteria?

Have you ever done anything remotely as dangerous, so that you are in a position to dismiss his heroism as trivial?

Or is it just that you'd have a much easier time admitting that he was a hero if he hadn't been a Mormon (ugh!)

Dip wrote:

Tell me this wise guy. Where was the LDS church during the Shoah? How about Rwanada? Somalia? Darfur?

And this is relevant -- how, exactly?

Regards,
Pahoran

Get a Clue wrote:

<quoted text>
Maybe you should bone-up on the tax emption laws. Tax exempt status does not take away a church's right to take a stand on social or even political issues. That's what a church does! They just can't endorse a particular candidate. Not an issue here. They doing what they should be doing. Whether you like it or not, they took a stand for what they believe is right. We need more churches and individuals to do the same and not just following the politically correct money trail.

churches cannot support political causes or candidates with TAXFREE dollars or with facilities that are tax free such as churches..preachers can say what they want in public but they CANNOT use their pulpit or marquees period and that is why the mormons and others are in trouble...the law applies to all,,,

clue yourself wrote:

<quoted text> churches cannot support political causes or candidates with TAXFREE dollars or with facilities that are tax free such as churches..preachers can say what they want in public but they CANNOT use their pulpit or marquees period and that is why the mormons and others are in trouble...the law applies to all,,,

I'm sure it does. Would you like to cite the relevant statute? The information I have, from a number of US lawyers, is that 501(3)(c) organisations can spend a certain percentage of their income in supporting political causes, providing they're not endorsing parties or candidates.

The Church of Jesus Christ *never* endorses parties or candidates,*rarely* involves itself in political causes, and only when those causes relate directly to moral principles on which the Church has a clear doctrinal position.

Regards,
Pahoran

Pahoran wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm sure it does. Would you like to cite the relevant statute? The information I have, from a number of US lawyers, is that 501(3)(****) organisations can spend a certain percentage of their income in supporting political causes, providing they're not endorsing parties or candidates.
The Church of Jesus Christ *never* endorses parties or candidates,*rarely* involves itself in political causes, and only when those causes relate directly to moral principles on which the Church has a clear doctrinal position.
Regards,
Pahoran

How's this, NO ONE CARES what the morons are doing. Stay out of people's human rights not to be discriminated against for the way they were created in the womb. This is not one nation under the moron churche's thumb. It will be overturned and science will prove, ONCE AGAIN, that this is just pure ignorance.

twd wrote:

<quoted text>
Quit your west coast California whining and accept the fact if it weren't for Christians coming to America, seeking freedom of religion, freedom from taxation without representation, and setting up the American government, you wouldn't be here.

You mean the same group that raped and murdered the Native Americans who were already living here? You should also note that the original Pilgrims were a religious minority seeking refuge from the more established religions in England. But the minority has now become the oppressors with garbage like that above. America is many things to many people and many just want to worship (or not) the way they see fit and not be persecuted by the christian taliban.

ButtOut wrote:

<quoted text>
How's this, NO ONE CARES what the morons are doing. Stay out of people's human rights not to be discriminated against for the way they were created in the womb. This is not one nation under the moron churche's thumb. It will be overturned and science will prove, ONCE AGAIN, that this is just pure ignorance.

Funny, I thought we were having a rational discussion about tax exemption laws and how they apply to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm sure your venting makes you feel better, but how does it serve to advance the discussion in any direction?

Regards,
Pahoran

Just another fine example of the leadership of the mormon church opening their mouth just far enough for their foot to fit.

Pahoran wrote:

<quoted text>
Funny, I thought we were having a rational discussion about tax exemption laws and how they apply to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm sure your venting makes you feel better, but how does it serve to advance the discussion in any direction?
Regards,
Pahoran

Sorry, I'm fairly still pissed at the heartlessness and pure evil of this proposition and it's ramifications. You want a discussion? Ok let's have a discussion then. Who did Jesus hang around with?